Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai

Where the film falters is the victim's emotions. For a subject based wholly on Nu's emotional torture and her being sexually abused, we see very little of her. She should have gotten more screentime, and the makers should have shown more of her pain and hurt that she went through. There is only one scene where she talks about how people look at her everywhere she goes as if she's the one who did the crime. Solanki tells her that she did do a crime, that is, she sent their godman to prison. While his response was hard-hitting, an emotional impact was missing. Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai is an example of how courtroom dramas should be made in India. There is no over-the-top drama, and the focus remains on the main topic throughout - to make sure the godman pays for his sins. It makes you have faith in the judiciary.

There are instances, particularly in the courtroom scenes, where Manoj Bajpayee's character Advocate P.C. Solanki tries to act or be funny but it somehow doesn't always come off as natural, as compared to the rest of the scenes from the film which are quite smooth. The film is a tad longer than it should have been. It can be chopped by around 10 minutes for greater overall impact.

Bajpayee furnishes his character with both vulnerability and grit. There is a poetry to his patter; I was delighted every time he said ‘janaab’ in court. We get variations on the Manoj Bajpayee stare: piercing and resolute when arguing his point, softly beseeching when haggling with judges, distant and wistful when he’s all by himself. In court scenes, he finds a rough camaraderie with Vipin Sharma, who paints a pragmatic (and occasionally dignified) portrait of a criminal defence attorney. Apoorv Singh Karki has directed shows like Aspirants and Saas Bahu Achaar Pvt. Ltd. With Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, he manages to tell a gutsy story without making it didactic or verbose. Despite a pumped-up narrative style, the film looks realistic, shot in life-size courtrooms and streets. And there are some memorable juxtapositions, all of them featuring Solanki.